Turbine is set to become Australia’s leading industry-based food and beverage research, education
and commercialisation facility with the precinct expected to gain national and international
recognition as a blueprint for collaborative manufacturing thanks to funding of up to $33.4 million
from the Federal Government.
After securing a Federal Government Grant of $8.78 million in 2021, today’s announcement will
ensure the development of the food and beverage manufacturing precinct, at the Sunshine Coast
Airport, will have a catalytic and enduring impact on the food and beverage sector on a scale that
has not previously existed in Australia.
The Turbine Collaborative Food & Beverage Manufacturing Precinct will enable SME food and
beverage manufacturers to innovate and scale-up, up and will present exciting opportunities for
producers and the entire value chain.
Chair of Turbine, Shay Chalmers said, “A critical element of success for the Precinct will be the
collaboration between project partners who are made up of small, medium and large businesses,
research organisations, industry groups, training institutions and investors.
“The project is built around collaboration and will demonstrate what’s possible when you build a
culture of co-opetition, where businesses and organisations share a vision and find ways to work
together. The advanced manufacturing capability combined with the support of education partners
will develop the pipeline of skills within the precinct to set the industry up for future success,” Ms
Chalmers said.
CEO of the Food and Agribusiness Network, Emma Greenhatch knows only too well the challenges FAN members face when trying to scale and access new markets.
“With such high barriers to growth in our industry, collaboration is key to ensure we have a resilient
and competitive food and beverage manufacturing sector into the future. Uniquely, the Turbine
Precinct will house end-to-end infrastructure and support, that will allow start-ups and SMEs to take
a great idea through to commercialisation and export – all in the one location.
“Every grower and food and beverage manufacturer from across the Sunshine Coast region and
beyond can benefit from this project, from the R&D and education and training facilities to the contract manufacturing, expertise and advanced manufacturing knowledge hub, and hospitality
showcase,” Ms Greenhatch said.
A key supporter and advocate of this project is Federal Member for Fairfax , Ted O’Brien who was
instrumental in helping secure both funding rounds.
“This massive investment will transform the local food and beverage sector and will create a
stronger future for the Sunshine Coast – built on a stronger economy,” Mr O’Brien said.
“This end-to-end collaborative food and beverage precinct is a world-first, and it will provide
lucrative opportunities for businesses at all stages and all sizes to build, scale and export, all under
one roof.
“But it’s not just business that will benefit. This project will create lifelong careers for local people.
From food technologists to designers and engineers, the TURBINE Precinct will create hundreds of
highly skilled careers for locals within an industry where the Sunshine Coast will be among the best
in the world,” Mr O’Brien said.
The impact of this project will be significant with 131 jobs being created during the construction
phase and once operational, a further 687 predominately high-value manufacturing roles and retail
trades will be created. Once fully operational, wages generated within the precinct are expected to
be anywhere from 12% to 60% higher than industry average wages.
Over the long term, the Precinct is expected to boost most industries but the highest uplift in
industry value-add will be Manufacturing with approximately $300 million in revenue expected to be
generated by Turbine’s Project Partners.
With around half of all products produced within the Precinct likely to be exported, the Precinct’s
export accreditation and location at the Sunshine Coast Airport will provide seamless access to
global markets.
The Turbine Precinct is due to commence operations in late 2023.